08/12/2008

Demeter Europe/USA: A friend asks why

I was preparing a petit d�jeuner for my friends Stephen et Bruno. Stephen was fresh from the roof, because I've banned him from smoking in my apartment. He sat down to be served. The phone rang. Out of Area. "Pascaline," I thought.
"Ah, Alice, how are you? I need to talk to you about Demeter. I am very upset, Alice."
Pascaline, a sommelier in France who is very influenced by the vin naturel movement, has been setting up a wine list here in New York City and is required to put U.S. wines on the list. She recently sent me a listing of approved Demeter vineyards and asked, "Are there any good ones here?"
I told her that while there were some interesting wines on that list she needed to be careful and to not assume biodynamic vineyards means the same thing as n biodynamic wines or even natural wines as wines made from biodynamic grapes--and labeled as such--can have acid and sugar adjustment, yeast, bacteria, RO, MOX, oak chips, tannins. Etc. She needed to look for the words, Biodynamic wine and even then she had to look out for inoculation for Malolactic, as well as the use of RO and MOX.
She was shocked. Stunned. "In France Demeter means something! I call you tomorrow."
And there she was, talking to me as I was drinking my coffee and I let Bruno tend to Stephen. They found my bitter marmalade from Calabria and didn't miss me one bit as they were busy slathering on the burnt orange colored, chunky preserve on black bread as if it were buttercream on a birthday cake. "Tell me, why is that there are two categories for biodynamie farming and biodynamie grapes? This is impossible. In Europe there is only one designation, biodynamie. And if you see biodynamie it is a natural wine. But you are saying I can't trust Demeter for wine in the United States? Ach, Alice, this is a disaster."
"And what about this green merdre, sustainable and salmon and organic grape and low carbon, you mean to tell me this does not mean the wine is made naturally?"
I had to break it to her. �No, in fact "Green" wine or "Sustainable," often just means conventional winemaking practice.�
Pascaline was shocked. "Why is this, Alice. Why is this?"
"Good question, Pascaline. But, I think that one of the problems is in the New World winemaking structure. As long as there's not a vigneron model in the U.S., as long as the winemaker and vineyard manager are separated by church and state, and there are people making rulings over Demeter who are not winemakers, can it ever really change? �
That's when I realized that most of the wine in this country is actually what would be called negociant wine in France. Why did I not get that before. I also noted; I have never seen any two men go through so much marmelade in my life. They were crazy about it.
�Ah, Alice,� she said. �This is so sad.a
I tried to imagine some wine drinker at Union Square being so concerned about this disconnect. It just doesn�t seem to bother people�except the people I know and that is a very small group. But after being in California so much lately with more coming down the pike I�m thinking about the issues a lot. The disconnect is something I don�t understand.
I met a man growing Sagrantino grapes. One of the wines of his life was a Bea Sagrantino. So, this gent who lives in the middle of his vineyards wants to get Demeter certified and is shopping for a consultant. Then he emailed me last week, do I by any chance know which yeast Bea uses for his wine?
It never occurred to him that Giampiero would has soon yeast his wine as put his mother in the oven. (he loves his mother.)
I hear there was a tornado over the ocean off of Long Island last night as well as eighty one strikes of lightning.

I'm hunting the Leon Trotskys, the Philip Roths, the Chaucers and the Edith Whartons of the wine world. I want them natural and most of all, I want them to speak the truth even if we argue. With this messiah thing going on, I'm trying to swell the ranks of those who crave the differences in each vintage, celebrate nuance and desire wines that make them think, laugh, and feel. Welcome.

And, if you'd like a signed copy of either THE BATTLE FOR WINE AND LOVE OR HOW I SAVED THE WORLD FROM PARKERIZATION or NAKED WINE, feel free to contact me directly.